Love's price
by Phantombeliever
Summary: EC: Christine Daae lives in Newcastle England and, had a happy life with her family untill the unexpected death of her father in a thug incident. Overcome by grief, she goes to the hospital and there meets the boy her father Died for, Erik Emerson. MD
1. Tragedy

Chapter one: Tragedy 

Seventeen-year-old Christine Daae sighed as she put her hand on the side of her bedroom door as, she felt tears burning in her throat. How could this have happened? Her father, her poor father had been shot in a thug incident and had been pronounced dead on scene. Her mother Annabel stood beside her. Her slender arms wrapped around herself as she rocked herself in a fruitless attempt to comfort herself. Christine came to her side and wrapped her arms around her, holding Mrs. Daae as she let her cry, hot tears spilling over her chocolate eyes, normally so big and bright now dull and misted with sorrow.

Christine felt her mother's tears fall on her forehead as one of the large white buttons of her dress cut painfully into her forehead. She didn't dare look up however, knowing if she did she would see her mother cry. Her mother hardly ever cried, but now she was completely breaking down. Not that Christine could blame her, she would cry too if the love of her life died. Annabel Daae began to collapse under the immense emotional pressure of her loss, and was very thankful to have her daughter and only child by her side.

Christine took her mother by the arm and helped her into a large armchair, kneeling down at her feet to take her hand gently. As Annabel felt the soothing touch of her child's hand on hers she felt more tears welling up. Christine began to sing soothingly smoothing her mother's raven curls. Annabel was becoming drained of all energy, her grief taking its toll on both her mind. Looking at her daughter with heavy, half-lidded eyes. She made an attempt at a wane smile, as she looked into her daughter's mid-night blue eyes the same color as her father's eyes.

Christine walked to the wooden and yet well-cushioned rocker, and removed the faded patchwork quilt and laid it gently on her mother's lap tucking it around the poor woman snugly. She smoothed her mother's curls away from her forehead and kissed her brow that was creased with grief and unshed tears tenderly. "Close your eyes and get some rest mama, you are going to need it." She murmured and stroked her small hand gently. Mrs. Daae mumbled incoherently as she laid her head in the fold of the winged armchair exhaustedly and closed her eyes, breathing very deeply only once before she began nodding off to the land of sleep.

Christine went to her father's piano and began to play _Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's piano concerto #8 in D minor. _Her mother smiled in her sleep, and Christine smiled to herself as she kissed her mother's forehead. Christine then went into the kitchen; she knew it was going to be a long night. Her mother would need comfort, and she would no doubt be sick with nightmares, so Christine knew she would not sleep a wink.

Christine shook her head as she at last let her own grief for her father to take control and she sat down in one of the dinning chairs and cried softly for several moments. When she had at last collected herself she got up and began to make a nice dinner of Crêpes, with honey, chicken fettuccini with Alfredo sauce and a green salad, to drink she fixed two hot and steaming mugs of hot chocolate with sweet spices and ginger powder, for dessert she fixed warm peach cobbler, topped with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce and some fresh baked ginger bread cookies.

She smiled when she was done, glad for the six years of cooking classes since her first year of middle school, and all the practice had really paid off. She set the table and went back into the living room where her mother snored softly in an exhausted and grief induced slumber, her gentle features pale and knitted together, her middle-aged but still beautiful form was trembling with the force of her unshed tears, Christine sighed and kissed her mother awake and as soon she opened her eyes the tears trickled down her rosy cheeks once more.

"Shh, mama." Christine soothed and smiled a she helped her mother to her feet, and guided her to the kitchen and set her down in the chair next to her own. Annabel smiled appreciatively at her daughter as the child filled her plate, with a little bit of everything she had made. But became apologetic, when she found herself struggling to choke down the food as she swallowed it, delicious though it may have been. After taking just three bites of the pasta however, she found that she had lost her appetite and pushed her plate away.

Christine sighed and cleared the plates after putting the rest if the three-course meal in the fridge and helping Annabel back into her chair. Annabel took the TV remote and turned on the news just in time to hear the story of her husband's death.

"_Good evening Newcastle, this is Paul Yohenstria with your seven o'clock news weather broadcast, we are in for another showery night this evening and everything is wet, wet, wet, with temperatures in the low and middle fifties so bundle up so stay inside, stay dry, and bundle up folks! And now hear Julia Karen with our latest story on the FYI news network coming to you live, from St. Parkman's street Newcastle. Julia."_

A woman with shaggy, brown hair and a boney face appeared on screen, standing in the downpour with a red microphone:

_"Thank you Paul. Earlier tonight a man by the name of Gaston Daae was shot during a thug incident just in front of Newberry Park. By the looks of things he was protecting a young boy by the name of Erik Emerson after just getting mugged himself, we have the boy's family with us now._

A woman with tri-colored eyes came forward with tears, streaming down her face as the reporter asked, _"What is your relationship with the boy?" _

The woman sobbed aloud, before answering, _"I'm his mother, and this is my husband Ayden, and his little sister Michelle and older brother Curtis. We would like to thank Mr. Daae for his sacrifice tonight, and to let his family know, _(sob) _that we will pray for them always, and to thank them, for sending us this angel in disguise." _

**'How sad.' **Christine thought kneeling beside the armchair in which her mother sat in as she wrapped her arms around her she saw the reporter showing a picture if the injured boy in the separate column to the left where the woman with the shaggy brown hair still stood.

Christine felt her eyes begin to water, such a handsome boy and holding a little girl, most likely his sister. He was tall, with the same oddly shaded tri-colored eyes that his mother had, and a smile men and women alike would kill for, he was strong of that she was certain and his had a certain softness to them, but a hard ruthlessness to them at the same time.

Christine did not get a chance to listen to the rest of the report due to the harsh sobs of her mother crying, "Oh Gaston…Gaston."

She turned off the Television and helped her mother into bed sitting beside her the entire night.

**- With Erik Emerson-**

He awoke groggily to the sobs of someone and the constant annoyance of the beeping of monitors, and IV machines, the task of opening his eyes was or seemed to be too great at first for his eyelids were far too heavy, he waited a few moments before trying again and this time his eyes opened a crack. "Mmmmmm." He moaned and tried to roll onto his side, stopping when his body screamed in protest, "mother?" he mumbled recognizing her as the one who was crying.

Mrs. Emerson turned her head slowly, and when she saw Erik went to him. She wanted to run to his side and hug him, but she figured that now was probably not the best time. So she settled for taking his hand, he winced upon turning his head, good lord he hurt! Everything and everywhere on his body ached and burned sharply, and even when his mother stroked his thick hair, which had no feeling at all, his forehead burned badly.

This nurse, Elvira Morrison came in and asked cheerily… well in the most cheerful voice she could master, "How ya doin' great one?" and then started to cry.

"I haven't looked at myself yet, I figured I could tell by your reaction to me every time you come in the room." He said dryly and smiled as Curtis came in, "Well hello my brother, come to bid your respects to me, after all it's been what five years?"

"In that order, Hi. Yes and no. And it's only been three since I went off to college not five also I talked to he doctor and… OH… MY… GOD!!" Curtis became slightly green as the nurse removed the bandage on the right side of his face in order to change it.

"Mother do you have a hand-mirror that I could borrow?" he asked and Mrs. Emerson shook her head as he reached for the mirror in her hand, he took it from her easily, and muttered, "Time to face the music." And as he raised it to his face he let out a great cry and sobbed repeatedly, "no… no… how could this have happened to me… no… not me… why me?"

"It's not that bad." Curtis lied making an effort to sound reassuring, oh whom was he trying to fool? It was horrible, the entire right side of his face now looked like it had been burned off by acid, and even if the wound did heal it would still leave an awfully large and in his mind rather hideous scar. Still he reassured his brother, soothing him with gentle words, while their mother sang him a soft lullaby in a fruitless attempt to comfort him and keep him calm, although keeping Erik calm was like getting a lion to not mate in the spring… practically impossible!

"You should consider yourself lucky in any case, you know the man that protected you… well he's dead." Curtis told him but Erik did not hear him for his mother had sung him to sleep, and that was how he stayed for the rest of the day and night.


	2. A request

Chapter two: A request 

Erik woke to find his entire family now crowded round the small crib-like hospital bed, his father's ebony orbs boring into his tri-colored ones as if trying to read his mind, that thought made him shiver. Mrs. Emerson was in the same position as she had been when he had awaked the previous day; only now her eyes were heavy and dark circled with the lack of sleep. Curtis on the other hand paced to and fro about the room making much more noise than he would have liked to hear at the present time.

Erik groaned in pain as he turned his head and looked at the clock on the bedside table. 9:30 AM. He wasn't due for his pain meds for another half an hour. Closing his eyes, he tried to imagine a happy picture in order to take his mind off the pain of his limbs due to the tenseness of his locking muscles. His brow furrowed in concentration, and he made great efforts and went to great lengths to complete his mental task. He tried so hard in fact that his head burned and throbbed splittingly and he had to open his eyes to focus again.

The sight that met his eyes, though blurry at first started him so much that he jolted. Michelle giggled and pointed her finger jeeringly at him, **'great just what I need right now.' **He thought sarcastically as he looked at his sister. Why did she always have to be around when he didn't want her to be? It wasn't that he hated his sister, he liked her, loved her even. It was just that having a five-year-old laughing at him when he was in pain wasn't exactly his idea of fun at the moment in fact it annoyed him.

Mr. Emerson was the first to speak,** "**hey little buddy how ya feel this morning?" he asked. Erik groaned in response and glared at him irritated. How many times did he have to remind him that he hated being called 'little buddy' or any other pet names in general? His sister looked at him, her brown hair falling over her face, almost shielding her black eyes. He closed his eyes again the energy to keep them open drained from him. "That good huh?" his father joked.

Erik did not reply at first, for he found himself drifting off again, but was woken up by Curtis's loud obnoxious fake coughing as attempted to clear his throat. "Curt?" Erik muttered sleepily and his brother smiled a friendly gesture, and he did the same. "Mother?" he asked groggily.

Mrs. Emerson who had just drifted to sleep, roused herself enough to look at her so, He felt himself smiling inwardly as Michelle pecked his cheek. Mrs. Emerson smiled her motherly and fond smile that she always used in times of warmth or at touching moments such as now. Of course this moment did not last long for Elvira came in with his painkillers, this interrupting the family visit.

Erik took the meds and thanked her; as soon as he could he swallowed them. His mind became cloudy, the medicine having the desired effect on him. Numbing his pain, making him drowsier and very, very groggy. He ate the meal of fluffy pancakes, two scrambled eggs, and three strips of crispy bacon with two plump sausages like it was some poison from the devil. _Very _slowly, and then swallowed his milk gulping harshly to get the substance down his burning throat.

When he was done, he handed the nurse back the tray and in a few minutes called her back. "Yes?" she asked him as she knelt beside the bed.

"That man. The other one that got shot, may I see him?" he asked and the nurse turned very white. She denied his request saying simply that he was still quite in act too weak to get out of bed as of yet. The truth of the matter was that she did not want to tell the boy of the Mr. Daae's death and subject the boy to more traumas than he had already been subjected to in the first place.

Erik nodded his obedience, but knew that there was something else in the works here than just the weakness of his body. He knew there was something else going on here, and that all the nurse was doing was making a pointless attempt to conceal it from him. He was determined to find out what that something was or is that this dreadful woman was hiding. He asked her that if he could not go to the man that if she might bring the man to him so that he could thank him for his kind protection and see that he was all right.

Again the infuriating nurse declined to do as he had requested, saying a little to quickly for his liking that that the man was indeed quite well, but that he was sleeping and wished to be alone for the evening. Erik sighed, nodded, and thanked her and said that that was all he had required at the moment and politely dismissed her from the room, saying that he wished to be alone with his family for the remainder of the hospitals visiting hours. She then nodded and hurried off thankful that he had said such things and not pressed the matter.

He then turned to his family and said with a slightly sleepy and yet intuitive tone, "you are all hiding something. Come now out with it." And smiled knowingly as he gazed at the ashen look on his brother's face.

Curtis spoke up, knowing his brother to be as stubborn as an ass when he wanted something and knew he would not give up until he got what desired. "Erm… Erik Mr. Daae is in a way asleep, but I am afraid he won't wake up." He said and grimaced as an ashen pallor came over his younger brother's face, still he continued, " He didn't survive. The bullet pierced his skull and he died immediately." He finished.

"No…you're lying… no." Erik breathed, he couldn't be dead… he just couldn't be.

"I'm afraid not." His father said once he had found his voice. "I wish it were a lie believe-you-me I sure as heck wish it were." He said and came to embrace his son who'd broken down into tears.

"Did he have family?" Erik asked.

"Yeah, a daughter your age and a wife." Curtis answered; Michelle remained silent, as she had been the whole family visit.

"I want to see them, I want to apologize." He said and his father took out a pen and paper.

"Well, I'll invite them." He said and wrote the invitation. He then left the room and the hospital, and giving it to the postman and said, "deliver this personally to the Daae household, as soon as possible." And handed him three five-dollar-bills, the man nodded and walked off.

Ayden Emerson then walked back into the hospital, and had Elvira lead him to Erik's room. When he arrived he found Erik asleep and sat down in a folding chair, and watched his son sleep, while the rest of the family went home to rest.

**- With Christine Daae-**

Christine sat still as she made an attempt to catch some shut-eye. Last night had when exactly as she had thought it would. She had not slept at all… well that was overstating. She had caught fifteen-minute powernaps here and there about once every two hours. Just enough to keep her from collapsing, her mother slept still now. Exhausted form her own grief, she was at last able to rest, no peacefully fir she still was quite ashen with pain but rest all the same.

Christine roused herself long enough to re-cover her mother, and then she lay down beside her. Annabel moved over a bit, recognizing the gentle touch of her daughter's hand. Christine let out a deep sigh before drifting off into a practically dead sleep.

She was woken up soon after however by the sound of the phone ringing. She rose and went into the living room where she found the phone and picked it up. "Hello?" she muttered.

"Christine! I am so sorry!" the voice of her cousin Meg came blasting into the phone, causing her to wince.

"Hi Meg. Could you not be so loud please my mom is trying to sleep." Christine reprimanded her; she was so loud her voice echoed and that was not good. She did not want to wake up her mother, when she was sleeping after such a rough and sleepless night.

"Mama and I just read about uncle Gaston in the papers, I am so sorry." Meg said quieting slightly, "I can't believe anyone would do this."

"Thanks, and neither can I." Christine said and Meg told her that her aunt Marie wanted to speak with her. "Hi auntie." She said softly.

"Hello dearest. Is my sister well?" Marie asked.

Christine went through the whole story of the night's events and when she was done the doorbell rang. She asked her aunt to hold on a moment but she had to take Meg for her ballet lessons so she had to hang up. Christine then went to the door and answered it; it was the postman.

"Letter for your mum misses." He said and handed it to her, she thanked him and tipped him five dollars and went back inside. Leaving it on the table she went back to the bedroom and back to sleep.

**This chapter was boring I know but it'll get better. Review please thanks to those who do.**


	3. The invitation and the story

Chapter three: The invitation and the story 

Christine sighed as she was woken up by the soft sobs of her mother. She was obviously having some type of terror, some horribly vivid nightmare. Despite this, she for some odd reason that Christine could not explain had a soft and tiny smile curving her mouth. Christine did not wait long to find out the answer, for the answer to her inner question that so confused her. Annabel Daae murmured softly, "I love you too Gaston." Christine felt her eyes water, she was dreaming of her father. She thought of the picture of the boy, and felt her anger bubbling to the surface.

It was entirely his fault…well not really but still! If he hadn't been in the wrong place at the wrong time her father may still be alive. Oh great what was she doing, she was not normally the one to play the blame game. It was just that she missed her father so much, and at the moment and she needed to find a place to assign the blame of her loss. She knew it was pointless, however for even of you find a place to assign your grief, someone to accuse; it would not change the fact that her father was dead.

Her father was gone and he was never, ever coming back. She felt her eyes watering and to ease both her own mind and her mother's she sang the tune to her father's lullaby about little Lotte and the angel of music. While she sang she smoothed her mother's hair and discovered that it was slightly warmed to the touch, and moistened with sweat. Her body of which was hidden by nothing more than a white and rather old-fashioned looking lace silk gown, that hugged her body close, was flushed slightly.

Christine rose and tiptoed hurriedly into the kitchen, she took a blue fabric washcloth and dipped it into Luke-warm water soaking it thoroughly. She tiptoed back into the room and sat down in the chair next to the bed. She turned Annabel's head gently, and carefully laid it on her mother's forehead, she had to be careful not to get her eyes. She gently moved the cloth back and forth, swabbing her fevered brow as she opened her eyes she tried to smile. Christine kissed her mama's forehead, and Mrs. Daae blinked up at her lovingly.

"Mmmm. Wha- are you doing?" She mumbled and Christine explained that she was only cooling her off. Her mother thanked her and reached up, taking her only child in her arms in a pitiful attempt at a feeble hug. Christine returned the gesture a little too strongly, and had to apologized when her mother winced due to the weakness of her body. Mrs. Daae forgave and pulled her daughter's head to her soft lips kissing her tenderly her touch lingering lovingly for a moment as she looked at the blue-black hair running her fingers through it. She looked so much like her father even though Gaston had had blonde hair.

She helped her mother into her slippers and then into the living room where she sat her down in the winged armchair and set the small coffee table in front of her and went to the kitchen. She made her mom a piping hot, steamy mug of peppermint tea and some cucumber sandwiches and set them down in front of her. Mrs. Daae thanked her, and Christine sat down next to her on the sofa. She turned on the TV to Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar. And her mom smiled as she watched. It was one of her favorites.

_"Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ! Who are you? What have you sacrificed?!" _

_"Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ! Who are you? What have you sacrificed?!"_

_"I wanna know, I wanna know!"_

_"Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ! Who are you? What have you sacrificed?!"_

The cast sang, with surprising clarity.

Christine looked around, knowing she had forgotten something, which she just could not put her finger on. Then her eyes fell upon it, the letter for her mother that the postman had delivered some hours ago. She rose and picked it up; the heading was written in a very well and practiced hand.

She handed it to her mother, who read the heading out loud to her. "Daae residence 5/7/07." She opened it and her eyes immediately began to water as she read it in a quavering voice:

To whom this may concern,

Good day to you, my name is Ayden Emerson. The father of the boy that your Mr. Daae had given his life for. I want to send my condolences, and to say how truly sorry we all are for your loss. We know you must miss him terribly and we also want you to know that we will pray for the good lord to guide and comfort you all and all those that this man was close too. For I am sure that this Gaston Daae was a good man, as my wife said the night of his death and I quote "an angel in disguise." We wish you the best for all your days after and I again would like to say how grateful I am for his sacrifice.

My son Erik learned of your husband's death just yesterday after inquiring after the poor man's health, due to his wish to thank him for his kind protection. In the simplest of fraises and shortest of words, he was devastated. He still cries for him in even in his most pleasant dreams. He cried for a long while yesterday, so much he hurt himself, in his ribs where the thug that took your husband's life stabbed him with a switchblade knife. The nurse had to sedate him to ease the pain and help him rest.

My son had told me before all of this happened that he wished to see you and your daughter, in order to apologize for the death in person. If you choose to oblige to his request come to the Almond street hospital and he is in room number 17 on the second floor. It would mean a lot to him if you would come, seeing as he blames himself for your loss as it is.

Best wishes,

Ayden Emerson and family

**- - - -**

Christine shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut in a fruitless attempt to hold back the tears that were welling up there. Her mother on the other hand did nothing to hold back her emotions and cried gently, silently as she read the last line. "Should we go?" Christine asked.

"Of course we are going! Why the poor boy must be scared half to death. Get your coat Christine, we must get to the hospital before visiting hours are over." Mrs. Daae told her and Christine obeyed, they sat in the car and drove straight to the hospital. Christine prayed that nothing would go wrong.

**- With Erik Emerson-**

He sat up in bed, tears streaming down his face, pouring out of his eyes like raindrops cooling his flushed young cheeks slightly. "It's all my fault. It's all my fault." He kept repeating as Mr. Emerson held him with one arm draped over his strong and yet trembling shoulders. He shushed him, and pressed his lips to the boy's forehead. "I'm going too kill Wilkes when I get out of this." He sobbed.

Mr. Emerson looked up surprised, "Johnny?" he asked shocked, Jonathon (Johnny) Wilkes had been Erik's best and closest friend since they had been no older than five years old, why would Erik say something bad about him? He had to wait a few moments for Erik's explanation, because do to the boys hysterical tears and hyperventilation he had a very violent coughing fit.

Erik nodded vigorously, and explained between his sobs and harsh gasp for breath, "Johnny and I were coming home from school two days ago, and I didn't know it but Johnny had been high on ecstasy or some other type of drug."

'**Oh great my son is friends with a druggie!'** Mr. Emerson thought dreading what Erik was about to say next, but motioning for him to go on with his story.

Erik took a deep calming breath before he went on, "Well Johnny, he told me that he needed money. So I gave him a few bucks, after he lied to me saying that he just wanted to by a mother's day card for his mom."

"And then what happened?" his father asked shuddering at the flaming look in his eyes.

"Well… Johnny and I turned the corner and I reminded Johnny that the gift shop was in the other direction. He simply laughed and then we met some guy named Tyler who handed Johnny something that looked like coak. I then told him flat out that what he was doing was illegal and that I was going to call the cops."

Mr. Emerson despite himself smiled, his son was always the hero, even in the worst situations. He always did his best to do the right thing; even of it hurt him to do it. Even if Johnny Wilkes was his best friend he did what he could to keep him out of trouble was his first priority, even

Erik breathed deeply once more and continued his tale shaking with a sudden burst of burning rage that coiled his inside into a twisted and crooked knot, "Johnny got mad and jumped on top of me, he punched me several times before Tyler pulled him off of me, shouting that he wanted his 'stuff' back and that Johnny was thirty dollars short."

Mr. Emerson, rolled his eyes inwardly disgusted by this boys repulsive behavior and touched Erik's shoulder nodding for him to continue, he breathed raggedly the sedation wearing off and pain of his limbs and wounds returning sharply, causing him to wince.

He breathed shatteringly and shook from head to toe with tears, pain, and anger. He breathed deeply and continued, "Johnny refused and went back to punching me. That's where Mr. Daae came in; he ran to my aid and forced Johnny off of me. Well as you can probably guess, Johnny ordered his wallet; Mr. Daae gave it to him. Tyler of course after getting his money shot Mr. Daae so that there wouldn't be any witnesses and ran off with Johnny after he shot and stabbed me."

Mr. Emerson sighed and hugged his son, just as Rosa the guidance nurse came in, "Sorry to interrupt but you have a visitor." She said leaving the room as the door opened slowly.

**Sorry 'bout the cliffhanger, but I had to end it here to make room fir the next chapter. Review please! Thanks to those who do!**


	4. Visits and apologies

**Chapterfour: Visits and apologies **

Erikturned his head very slowly, wincing in pain. His visitor was a woman seemingly of middle age, with chocolate brown eyes and blue-ebony hair that flowed down to the small of her back in little wavy curls. She had a kind and motherly face that was lit up with a small and yet gentle smile. Mr. Emerson smoothed his hair once more, kissed his brow, and rose to greet the visitor. The woman whose name Erik did not know held out her arms to embrace Mr. Emerson and he allowed her to do this.

The woman after releasing his father turned to him and smiled gently at him, going to his side she kissed his brow. "Mrs. Daae?" he moaned the question groggily as he felt her cool fingers caressing the horrible scars on his face. Mrs. Daae nodded and kissed his wounds gently, soothing him as if he was her own. Mr. Emerson smiled; yes she was definitely a good person,

"Yes child." She whispered as she pressed her lips to his forehead tenderly. **'Poor boy' **she thought sadly for the unshed grief in the seventeen-year-old's eyes made her want to weep with pity, sadness, and love. This boy reminded her so much of her Gaston, when she had first met him as a young boy of no more than six years old in his home country of Sweden during a family business trip. Her father had arranged their marriage of course, for the Daae family, though not as wealthy as he would have liked was not bad off.

His family the Ronolds on the had been as poor as church mice and his eldest daughter Marie had already married a handsome young soldier by the name of Lucian, and was heavy with child. He had married them off then and there, they had had a rocky start but they eventually fell so deeply that they were inseparable.

"I'm sorry, I'm so very, very sorry." He sobbed and Annabel stroked his hair, gently soothing him as sang an old folk song, from her home country if France. He shook, trembling with sadness and remorse. Mrs. Daae just kept up the gentle words, glad that her voice was calm and smooth. Gaston had loved to hear her sing, as a matter of fact she had sung only for him and her daughter, hating publicity and being a very private person.

Mr. Emerson spoke up, having had enough if the only sound in the room being the harsh sobs of his son and that song in that weird nasally tongue that he did not and did not even want to bother with trying to understand at the moment. It was all making him rather if not very nervous, for even the warm and yet at the same time fowl smelling air felt ice cold.

And for a reason that he could only explain as a nervous and stress induced hallucination he head the wind whooshing and roaring about in his eardrums. "As you can see Mrs. Daae… he is still very weak and will need to recover slowly and…" he stopped when he realized that the middle aged woman was not listening to him at all, that her entire focus was seeing to the wounded boy who sobbed bitter and brokenly into her chest as she cradled him there.

Ayden Emerson left the room to go to the restroom, trusting his first instinct that his child would be safe in her arms. Annabel sighed, and simply continued humming and rocking him. "Shh child, shh." She whispered.

The boy looked up and said in a weak voice, "m-my name is Erik Mrs. Daae." Annabel smiled and told him that it was indeed quite a lovely name and that it suited him. He thanked her and she was very glad and very thankful that he had begun to quiet. Not that she minded comforting him; no that was not the reason at all. It was simply that it was heart shattering for her to see and hear a child weep for a tragedy that he had had absolutely no control over whatsoever in her mind.

"Better now?" she asked, smiling that sweet and motherly smile of hers. He half shook and half nodded his head in a gesture of un-decision, and she chuckled softly. **'Such a sweet child."** She thought as she watched his features become heavy eyes and weary. She smiled and gave him her hand when he reached for her.

"I'm so sorry." He said for the umpteenth time and Annabel just smiled compassionately. Mr. Emerson did not come in; he merely stood outside the door of his son's hospital room. He thought it best to let the boy come to terms with this on his own and knew he would get anywhere with him hovering and looming over him like a vulture over its dinner.

"It's not your fault Erik." Annabel reassured him and kissed his forehead again tenderly. "My husband would not want you to be in such distress." She added softly.

"Yes it is! It's my entire fault! If I had not followed Johnny then Mr. Daae would not have had to save me. " Erik wheezed breaking down into tears again. Annabel sighed, though she did not have the foggiest clue as to which this Johnny person was, is, or might be she had a strong and very sharp feeling that he had played some very important in fact major role in her husband's death.

She decided however to leave that question in her mind and unanswered for now. It was most likely best not to ask such things and take the risk of making the poor boy even more grieved then before. She simply hugged him again and smoothed his raven hair from his fevered brow, the medications were giving him little and thankfully very mild heat flashes that caused his brow to flush and redden as though he had a very slight second degree sunburn.

Elvira came in with his afternoon meds, which he needed a little bit of assistance taking. He was not having an easy time holding the water glass you see, and when he requested help Mrs. Daae came to his aid immediately and gently massaged his throat, coaxing him to swallow. The nurse asked if she would like a chair and when Annabel nodded she was quickly brought a chair that she eased herself down in slowly. She then took possession of his hand again as he looked at her with sad and regretful eyes.

"Mr. Daae was killed by my best friend." He said and she did a very good job of hiding her shock. This boy, he was the same age as her Christine, what was his best friend doing with a gun? He should not have been on the streets in the first place for that matter, but with a gun? She decided not to press the matter, deciding that all things and mysteries would be revealed to her in time, or when the good lord decided to reveal them. Whichever came first, so she let the boy cry in her arms some more comforting him like the small boy he was in her eyes.

He went on telling her the way he had felt for her upon hearing of her loss. Apologizing yet again despite her constant reassurance that she in no way shape or form blame him for what had happened and that he was not at fault for this tragedy. Elvira coming in again and begging their pardons as she gave Erik his lunch interrupted them. Today's afternoon meal, consisted of macaroni and chess, apple juice and some weird vegetable dish that looked as though it was made up of broccoli, carrots and, coli flower he hate very slowly and had to have Annabel hold his tray for him.

His hands were trembling, so she held his dishes while he ate. She felt her pity for him rising; he was so sweet and compassionate. If there was any tragedy here it was not of her or her daughter. Not even of her husband, Gaston was in heaven; he no longer had to endure the pain and endless sufferings of this life. Annabel knew that though she was in great pain from her loss, that it would all heal over time. She also had the fond memories of her husband to comfort her, and so did Christine.

No the tragedy sat before her, this child who had survived so much only to be scarred forever, and live on in this world after witnessing a murder. A murder done at the hand of his best friend. If anyone was suffering it was he, not she who was in the worst pain.

Her thoughts were interrupted by his voice as he began to hum softly an old Christian hymn, Jesus of Nazareth. **'If humming makes him feel any better than by-all-means let him hum.' **She thought, even though this seemed like a pretty random time to be humming church songs to her. Suddenly he stopped and asked, "my brother told me that you have a daughter about my age. May I see her?" Annabel smiled and nodded, rising and telling him to wait here,

'**Where in God's name does she think I am going to go?' **he thought smirking at this dry bit of humor that he had concocted inside his head.

Annabel; found her daughter and quickly ushered her to follow her, paying no attention to her protests. "Now dear this boy is very sick with pain and very grieved by the death of your father perhaps even more than you and I are. So be nice to him all right." She instructed and came back into the room followed closely by her daughter.

**So E/C meeting coming up next! Sorry but had to leave another cliffhanger to make for the next chapter. What do you think Christine's reaction will be like? Review and you may find out faster. Thanks to reviewer and people who read.**


	5. Christine

Chapter five: Christine 

Erik looked up, having a very hard time keeping his eyes open after his many waves of hysteria and fits of tears. In the shortest of words he was just lying there on the bed now. Extremely exhausted, shaking his breathing ragged with his immense emotional agony. Not to mention the splitting ache in his forehead, due to the migraine he had given himself from crying so much. He moaned groggily and shook his head a bit stopping when it hurt. He looked up mistily at Annabel his tri-colored eyes still glossy with great pain, his emotions making his eyes look big and almost as blue as the morning sky outside.

Mrs. Daae took her seat by the bed once more and wrapped her right arms around the young man's shoulders and kissed his cheek again. Erik managed a wane and at the same time grateful smile. Mrs. Daae returned the gesture tenderly and motioned for her daughter to come and kneel beside her, at least until one of the nurses came back in and she would be to request that a chair to be brought in so she would be able to sit down more comfortably.

Christine stirred and was about to protest her mother's wishes. Annabel silenced her with a look that by only a glint from her eyes told her that she had better do as she was told. Christine sighed, reluctantly and moved to the bed. Erik had just begun to drift off, the meds making him drowsy and very weak with his numbness. Annabel smiled softly, thinking about how peaceful he looked in his sleep. Even with the immense pain he was in, his face looked pure and serene as though he had just stepped out of a temple after burning incense and inhaling the sweet fragrance for quite some time.

Annabel sat still and simply watched him for several minutes longer enjoying this brief reprieve for hearing the constant heart wrenching sounds of the little boy's empty, hallow and yet at the same time bitterly agonized cries. Christine felt her heart beating faster; she could not do this. She would not do this! Annabel placed her hand in her daughter's hair and stroked it soothingly. She knew this was going to be hard for her daughter to do… she knew this, but she also knew that Christine would have to "face the music" sometime and come to terms with all of this sooner or later. Mrs. Daae thought it to be in her best interest that she start now, while the memory was still fresh in her mind.

It was best to visit these things when one when the happen and not dwell on them over the years, les we open old wounds later on in life. Annabel took a deep breath and held it in, counting to three before letting it out slowly. She kissed Christine's cheek once before hugging her tightly and then at last kissed Erik awake.

He opened his eyes, they were still glossy with unshed tears. She smiled and smoothed the loose hair from his brow. "Mmmm… Mrs. Daae is that you?" he asked as he brought his eyes into focus. Once the picture or vision was clear, he could see her and someone else that he did not recognize but that looked at lot if not very much like her.

Mrs. Daae smiled, "call me Annabel sweetheart." She whispered and helped him sit up when he asked for assistance to do so. While she propped him up with a hand on his back she laughed as she heard a faint sound like that of someone pacing outside the hospital room. In truth it was poor Mr. Emerson, who had begun to get very nervous due to these people being in his son's room for a very long period of time now.

This was ridiculous, why was he so confounded nervous? He knew he had no reason to be. There was no doubt in his mind that the woman and her daughter would not hurt the boy in any way. The woman who had embraced him was far too motherly, far too sweet to even try. He wagered that the poor dear had not a single mean or evil bone in her body. Besides he thought to himself, no one could possibly harm or cause Erik more pain than that Wilkes kid.

He made a mental note to himself, to remind him to kill that little bastard personally when his son got out of this. And if Erik James Emerson did not make it out alive there would be hell to pay when he and his family got their hands on that slimy little wart-faced weasel that had the nerve and the audacity to call himself a friend of Erik's!

Mr. Emerson turned his mind back to the attention of the visitors. He knew the woman was Mrs. Daae, but he had had no clue at all as to who the teenager was. Most likely her daughter, and he hoped she would be nice to Erik. Well she was her mother's daughter so she couldn't be too outgoing or too mean. But then again he had absolutely no idea as to what her father had been like. He was certain the man had been good to have such a loving and good-natured woman as his bride but that was it.

He sighed, and rubbed his temples, all this thinking was making his head hurt. He could hear Erik's soft laughter and pleas for Annabel not to tickle him to death as she had promised she would. He could not hold back a small smile, at least his son was cheering up and that was definitely a good thing. He then sobered and wheezed a couple of times and Mr. Emerson had to really fight at and push down the urge to run into the room and help him.

He went back to pacing to calm himself down.

**- - - -**

"There, there little one you're all right." Mrs. Daae cooed gently patting and rubbing at his back to ease the pressure of his coughing. She then propped him up on the soft pillows and said, "May I have the pleasure of introducing my daughter. Christine." The girl came forward and offered Erik a false and not so friendly sneer-like smile as she greeted him,

"Erik." He said and placed a warm and very quick kiss on her hand.

"Classy." Mrs. Daae smiled and Christine her eyes in annoyance and agitation. Well okay she saw him and now she wanted to go home.

Erik breathed deeply and said, "I am very sorry for your loss and-"

Christine blew up then interrupting him, "YOU'RE SORRY! MY FATHER IS DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU AND ALL YOU CAN SAY IN YOU'RE SORRY? WHY I OUGHT TO JUST TAKE YOU OUT OF THIS HOSPITAL AND KILL YOU-"

"Christine!" Mrs., Daae cut in sharply.

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT, MY DAD IS DEAD AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!!!" she bellowed.

"Christine!" Mrs. Daae snapped as she looked at the now weeping Erik.

"WHY COULDN'T YOU HAVE DIED INSTEAD HUH? WHY DID YOU LET MY DAD DIE WHEN YOU ARE THE ONE WHO REALLY DESERVES THAT FATE?"

"You think I wanted him to die? You think I wouldn't trade places with him of I could?" Erik was crying now and Annabel wrapped her arms around him. She rocked him as she glared at her daughter. She was in for a punishment when they got home.

"Shh, child, shh." She whispered and when he had quieted she sang him to sleep. Then she kissed him good-bye and walked out of the room, thanking his father for allowing them to visit and led her child back to the car. Not saying a word to her the entire ride back.

**- - - -**

Once back at the house Annabel sat her down on the couch. Christine knew she was in trouble; her mother's normally kind eyes were blazing. "Now what ever possessed you to do that to the poor boy?" she reprimanded firmly.

"He killed papa!" Christine said her voice filled with grief and tears. Mrs. Daae sighed; they were going to have a long night. She stood up and took her in her arms. She was still very angry if not furious with her daughter though.

"He didn't kill your father, nor did he wish Gaston dead. Tomorrow you will go back to the hospital and you will apologize for your despicable behavior today." Annabel told her, and just ordered her up to her room not hearing any of her protest and as soon as she heard the door click shut she collapsed on the couch in a dead and exhausted sleep.

**Sorry the chapter is short. I just couldn't think of anything else. So review! Thanks to those who do**


	6. Thoughts and feelings

Chapter six: Thoughts and feelings 

Christine sat in her room. She was still crying and had been for several hours now. She had not wanted to be rude or nasty to Erik, she did not mean to have "blown a gasket" as the saying goes… it was just that seeing the boy her father had died for. Well to keep things blunt and simple, it was heart breaking and in all other possible ways down right devastating. She balled her hands into fists and knuckled her eyes; she knew her father if he had been alive today would not approve of her behavior today.

She could hear his gentle yet reprimanding voice in her head as she closed her eyes; see his blue eyes flashing cold fire._ "Christine Isabella Daae! Why I never… in all my days! How could you do that to him, he is in such pain. My wounds were given to me as a gift the way I see it. A gift to symbolize the courage and compassion of mankind. You must go back and apologize for your accusations." _Christine felt her eyes water as his smooth and coolly textured voice played and repeated in her mind.

She broke down into a fresh wave of tears and collapsed on the bed, he would certainly in fact definitely not approve. She cried softly, or attempted to anyways but as her cries became more grieved her sobs grew louder and louder, more and mire violent. Harsher and harsher until she was wailing and hyperventilating. She sobbed and her sobs were now tearing at her body like a blade though an enemy. Christine just sat there and cried, she did not know what else she could do. Her father, why did it have to be her father? Why? He was not a sinner; he was not unclean so why did he have to die?

Down stairs Annabel was suddenly jarred from her sleep, Christine was crying. That was obvious, but she did not believe that was what had woke her, She sighed as she rose to her feet breathing deeply. Christine was not taking this very well… no indeed… not well at all. She sighed and walked over to the mantle. There standing on top of it were some of her favorite pictures. One was of the family together sitting in front of the fireplace just two days before Christmas; Gaston had his arm around her as the couple kissed deeply. Her baby was held close to her chest.

She smiled her three sisters and brother had been there that night. She was the baby of the family; the eldest was her brother Adrian, next in line had been Marie, then Lily, and Harriet (twins) and then she had come as the last her father's pride and joy. She was of course the favorite and she was also the most beautiful.

With her father's black-blue hair and chocolate eyes, but her mother's fare and pretty complexion. Annabel snapped her head and her thoughts back to reality when her daughter's cries grew more hoarse. She slowly moved into the corridor and then up the stairs to her daughter's room. She hesitated before knocking on the door. Then she did. It opened slightly so she peeked in; the sight that she saw broke her heart

Her baby was lying on the bed; sobbing so hard it hurt the insides of her throat just watching it. Mrs. Daae was slowly making her way to the bed. She sat down and kissed her child's back. Christine sat up and looked at her mother. Annabel smoothed her hair, as Christine collapsed in her arms and slowly broke down completely,

"Shh…. Shh… shh… my baby." Annabel massaged her daughter's back tenderly.

She began to sing softly:

"_Little one who does not fear, the angel's voices clear?_

_They sing of love so dearly, the words they mean this clearly. _

_You will be safe, little child, safe but a fool in love_

_So my child, my sweet dove, in love with this strange boy, so mild and cold._

_This little child lost and wild, this boy without a soul. _

_His father's eyes blue as sky his own eyes silver cold._

_His mother's tears are filled with joy._

_For his false smile made of coy._

_For suffering is his joy, normality is made of coy._

_Love is no more than a toy._

_He comes to father of the earth, and said with cold stone eyes_

_That he will never understand why birds will always fly, why bird will fly or why the woman cries when she does not have bread._

_For beautiful are the sounds, to him the sound of deep, deep dread. _

_For in his eyes cold as stone, hold secrets that are long unknown._

_My they are known, old as time by those whose bodies men buried in the grind._

_For he is not of the world, he comes from where the darkness swirled._

_In pools so deep and cool, only in his world._

_The ancient one, his ire true loathes the man with these eyes of blue._

_For he has sent his son, with a wicked task of truth, with a wicked purpose to do. _

_He must kill those he knows will threaten his true dad._

_So here he comes to earth in all fire clad._

_So child, do you really love?_

_This boy not sent from he above?_

_This boy with his devil's sire, this dragon's son this boy made up of fire? Well it seems that you do. So I can only say one thing, and that is my last words to you. I love you."_

**(Claimer: I wrote this song it is called **_**"Loving a devil." **_** Sorry if you do not like it.)**

**- - - -**

Christine still sobbed in her arms and as Annabel finished, she suddenly regretted singing it for it was not a very comforting song. So she asked her, "Do you need me to help you sleep?" she smiled as her child at lat looked at her.

"Mama… I am so sorry." She cried and Annabel smiled and kissed her forehead and smiled. "I just miss papa so much."

"I know bebe I know." She whispered and sang her to sleep.

­**- With Erik Emerson-**

Mr. Emerson paced in and out, back and forth. He had no idea if he should go back in or let the boy learn to cope on his own. He was after all going to be a man soon, and he needed to be able to fend for himself. Still he was so scared and needed him.

He came in and found the sight hat met his eyes hardly pleased him. His son was sitting up in bed weeping, sobbing and rocking. His head rested atop his knees as he rocked, simply breathing in and out, having a very hard time doing that as it was. He smiled as his wife walked in. She pecked his lips and he smiled gently. As soon as Mrs. Emerson turned to greet her son, she turned as white as a sheet and ran to his side. She kissed him and smoothed his hair. "What happened Ayden?" she asked.

"I have no idea." He said and ran his fingers through his black hair as though it were a great task of some enormous and very strenuous magnitude. Curt came in and gave his father n awkward look that said something along the lines of, what did you do to my little brother?" Ayden shrugged and went to him hugging Erik tenderly and humming in his ear until he was calm.

Erik told his family what happened, "I hate them! I hate all of them! I hate Johnny, I hate Tyler, I hate the entire human race!" he screamed.

He hated them all save for his family and Mrs. Daae and he soon went to sleep to his father's voice with those thought buzzing in his head.

**Yeah another short chapter, but I am at a total block so if you have any ideas let me know. Review and thanks to those who do!**


	7. dreams

Chapter seven: dreams 

Erik had horrible nightmares while he slept. He tossed and turned with the restless of his dreams. He wanted to scream wanted to wake, but he was dead sound in his slumbers. Words leapt from his throat, cries pleas for help but they never could be voiced. His teeth came up forming bars, a cage, and a gilded gage of white bars that held his words captive with an unbreakable and impenetrable bond. His voice was like a living breathing wild animal in this senseless and pitiless torture of the bacteria in his heavily medicated mouth mocking it.

_Johnny and he were walking along as the son went down. Johnny had jus told a very good and rather dirty joke and they were laughing merrily with gay smiles. On their young faces, Johnny's gray eyes were as bright as silver. Erik's hazel black eyes shone bright with humor. The glint in them made a goldish tint come his eyes. As the pair waked along they listened to the night birds singing and tweeting sweetly to one another as if in a form of conversation. They turned along a narrow brick street way and stopped in front of a black void looking hole that suddenly appeared out of nowhere._

_"Johnny I think we ought to go back." He said and Johnny just laughed and kept going on merrily about his day. "No. Um Johnny I really think we ought to turn around…" he was becoming very nervous and uncomfortable here. He knew in his gut, had this sort of gut feeling that they really ought not to have been there at that time. He also knew that, one did not just walk into an unknown area unarmed and completely unprotected unless he or she had a very profound and very serious death wish._

_He wanted to run, wanted to scream. Afraid to move, he was even afraid to breathe. He just felt like the world needed to move faster, to spin round and round faster and faster. To whisk him away from his very existence as his breath was caught in his throat, Johnny on the other hand just laughed and continued happily on his way as if he were merrily on his way to another party like the one he had just came from in a mess. Erik on the other hand stood still holding his breath._

_"C'mon man what you afraid of?" Johnny asked. Erik did not answer; he began to back away very slowly, as if his legs were made of led and stone. At this rate he would never get away in time. He felt as though he not just his legs but his whole body was made of led, or perhaps granite. Johnny smiled friendly like; he took his hand and started to lead him towards the void._

_Erik pulled away and made a fruitless attempt to walk backwards. It was pointless, his legs felt like wheel stuck in the mud. Unable to move and yet in a constant rotation, it frightened him. He gritted his teeth with his immense efforts and fear for his own safety his own life. Erik ran the back of his hand across his brow; he cleansed himself with tears that welled up with the stinging sensations that were coming into them. They watered, ached and itched. The dust made them burn excruciatingly causing them to become red and bloodshot. _

_Johnny smiled and opened his arms as if he was about to clasp Erik in a tight and crunching embrace. Erik just continued to back further away. He shook his head, wanting to run so much now in fact that the desire to do so was overpowering him. Still he remained motionless, his mouth agape as he attempted to let out a great cry, but found it a pointless effort for he knew that his voice would remain mute, like a caged animal trapped in a zoo with a fierce need no a terrible desire to break free but finding that his efforts were and always would be fruitless. His voice and body were trapped, one in silence the other in a state of utter immobility._

_He watched as the black void swirled and turned. Spiraled slowly, reminding him vaguely if not very much of his little red wagon. Whenever he took it out to play, particularly on rainy or stormy days. It got stuck in the mud on the lawn and would not budge; save for one wheel in the front the right wheel to be exact. It turned so slowly, just as the void was doing now. "Uh Johnny let's go back now." He was saying a little if not very surprised that his voice worked. Johnny did not move, he simply smiled and turned his attention back to the hole._

_Erik could not retain a cry of utter shock and surprise as the void suddenly changed color. It went from a deep empty black to a bright and yet dully piercing silver that nearly blinded him with the glare of the setting sun. "Johnny." Erik breathed as a gust of wind rushed over causing the leaves on the trees to rustle softly making a sound that Erik found slightly no not slightly __**very **__spooky in fact as the breeze brushed over his back made him shiver as if someone was running their fingers over his spine._

_Johnny on the other hand was grinning from ear to ear like a confounded cat from that Disney movie, what was it called again? Oh yes, __Alice in Wonderland. __ Erik did not know why he was smiling and at the moment he did not much care to find out. Nope he was definitely not curious as to why his friend was smiling, more annoyed by it than anything else. What frightened him was the suddenly humorous laughter that erupted from the other boy's mouth, what a time for laughter, and what a time for his bloody smiles! _

_Erik stood still as out of the blue Tyler jumped out of the void with two other boys that he did not recognize. One was handsome, tall with long blonde hair and seemingly very well-built the other boy had spiked hair died orange and nose, lip, ear and other piercing in places that, made Erik want to vomit. His hair although made Erik think of a rooster, __**'and what is with the spiked dog collar." **__He thought to himself as he noticed the pit-bull collar wrapped tightly around the young man's neck. The boy's lips were painted a disgusting purple that made him look as though he'd been punched in the face._

_The other boy was well… despite his pretty face looked to Erik as though he was a bit … unmanly and reminded him strongly of one of those stupid Ken dolls that his sister played with… or maybe not. He looked to him more as a Barbie than a Ken. Johnny moved among the three other boys with ease however like they were old friends, who he had known for several years. Tyler and Johnny clasped hands, and the rooster boy and doll look alike placed their hands on his shoulders._

_Erik was introduced, roster-head's name was Steven and Barbie-boy's name was Raoul, Erik shook hands with both of them, and locked eyes with Tyler. He stared at him for several minutes before looking away. Tyler smiled as he was handed a twenty and three five-dollar bills and handed Johnny something. Some small or rather medium sized package wrapped in mint green tissue paper. Erik had some idea as to what it was, but he really did not want to think about it. Johnny was already unwrapping it hurriedly and he sniffed it, "oh yes." He murmured and leaned down to sniff it again._

_Erik thought his friend was acting very weird with his face bent down sniffling the contents of that strange package. Erik thought of a blow "puffer" fish, the flush in Johnny's cheeks made his young adolescence face look wide and plumper, and also a bit rosy. Erik was for all intensive purposes wierded no " wierded" was not the right word, freaked out was a better way to describe his feelings as he watched this scene unfold. Why was he sniffing whatever that stuff was? And what the heck was he holding the package to his chest for like it was some precious child._

_Johnny turned to Erik with that cute boyish grin on his face that Erik could never quite figure out, but that his mother always had said made her uncomfortable. You see according to Mrs. Wilkes he had the same smile as his father Georg, and whenever he gave her that smile it usually meant he was up to something mischievous. Erik had never really seen Mr. Wilkes due to the fact that he was often away at or over seas, but he was sure that his wife was right in any case._

"_Want some?" he asked and stuck out his hand to place some of whatever he was holding to Erik. Not knowing what he was being handed, but curios to find out what it was. He nodded his head and took the stuff. He watched Johnny snort it up his nostrils like an elephant spewing water about its body. He was about to imitate his friend when he realized that the thing he had been given was nothing other than a drug if some sort a narcotic of sorts. "Nice huh?" Johnny laughed. "Good stuff right man." Erik shook his head, dropped it and ran._

_Suddenly the black void appeared again out of nowhere and began to suck him in like a vacuum. Sucking, sucking. Until at last…_

**- - - -**

Erik awoke in a sweat, and wiped it from his brow with the back of his hand. Looking around the room, he saw his father fast asleep on the folding chair and then just as he closed his eyes again, Rosa came in and announced the arrival of a visitor.

**So there you go! Sorry for the wait health problems! Hehehe so Review and thanks to those who do!**


	8. The Visitor

Okay so major and I mean MAJOR plot twist here and the E/C reunion coming up it in two chapters.

Chapter eight: The Visitor 

Erik had half a mind to just tell whomever he or she was to go away. He was certainly not in the mood for people to be fussing over him at the moment. No doubt that was exactly what they were going to do because he was in pain. He sighed it was pointless to deny the person and he knew it, because if they really wanted to see him then they would just come back the next day in any case.

He allowed the visitor to be shown in and saw that a stranger had come in to visit him He decided it was best to be polite at least for the moment anyways. He smiled a false and yet at the same time friendly gesture. His visitor was a boy, seemingly not but two years older than himself. He was tall with jade eyes and black hair, and deep bronzed skin the shade of a shiny copper penny or maybe cocoa butter he was not quite sure at the moment.

When Erik asked the boy what he wanted and or needed of him, the stranger did not answer. He merely glared at him, so not knowing what else do he remained silent. It was as if he knew that speaking would arouse some type of wrath or anger from the visitor with the dragon's eyes. His father who had woken upon the young man's entry rose as he began to notice his son's discomfort. Quite frankly he could not blame him in the least for the still air in the small and rather crowded room was in all actuality quite if not very eerie.

He had absolutely no idea whatsoever as to whom this strange newcomer was and this young man was not dropping very many hints in his direction. In fact he was not giving him any clues whatsoever, and it worried him. He took a deep breath in order to steady himself. He remained silent, like a father of the church who had taken an eternal vow of silence. Erik just lay there and waited, just waited and waited for the boy to say something. For him to move, for him to scream, shout at his new deformities, to cry, to do anything.

When he did not Erik felt as though the room was going to close in on him, to box him up and never release him. Never again to allow him to see the light of day, he shuddered at the thought. He shivered as he closed his eyes flash images of his nightmare played over and over for several minutes until he could not even see straight any longer.

He closed his eyes and had to take several deep and yet ragged breaths in an attempt to steady himself as he heard himself scream with fright repeatedly over and over like a broken record. Mr. Emerson walked to the little boy… well his son was not little but he was still very young and he was shaking like a leaf. The visitor did not speak; he just kept staring and staring at him like he was some form of the devil incarnate himself. Mr. Emerson was becoming rather if not very uneasy about the stillness about the boy's gaze.

He was so eerily calm that it made even Erik's exhausted breathing sound like a racket. Just as Mr. Emerson was about to ask the stranger what he wanted his wife came in.

"Hello dear." She said and Mr. Emerson kissed her hello and then went back to standing very in fact so utterly still that it worried his wife, so much in fact that she reached for his hand and laced their fingers so tightly that they turned very white as though all the heat in her body had just stopped circulating all of a sudden.

Indeed it had for the pallor that had stole over her husband's face was so very terrible that it terrified her and made the very blood in her veins freeze. She rubbed at her arms as gooseflesh began to sprout on her ashen skin, bumpy and spine chilling as she made a fruitless attempt to warm her arms with this subtle, movement. Ayden wrapped his arm around her until he could feel one of her large pearl beads that she wore on her slender throat cut into his somewhat muscular chest as she pressed her shivering body close to his making an attempt to calm down and to warm herself up a bit.

As she shivered Ayden just stroked her hair wondering what in the world was wrong with his wife. Granted the boy was a bit odd, but that was no reason for her to be freaking out for heaven's sake! He decided that she was simply giving way to the pressures and trauma of the past few nights or days actually and was in all senses of the phrases out of her wits with great no great was not the right word. Immense was better, yes immense was the correct word, her immense exhaustion. He took her in his arms and kissed her black hair soothingly as she began .to tremble, "shh Barbra, shh." He murmured and kissed her head gently

At last when she was calm he was able to turn his attention back to his son and the strange boy whose name he did not know. Nor did he like his son being so bloody apprehensive all of a sudden. Why didn't the visitor just say something already and get on with it? After all if he was not here to say something than why was he here? Erik did not say a word either he just kept on looking into those jade eyes, **'What does he want from me a staring contest?' **Erik asked himself as he stared.

They at last broke each other's gaze but only long enough to look at the other two Emersons in the room as Ayden cleared his throat and then went back to holding each other in button hold eye-to-eye lock with one another. Mr. Emerson let his wife step away from him keeping a close step no more than three paces behind her. As she came to her son's bedside she took his hand in her own and he turned slightly to look at one of the few people he still loved with a soft and yet small smile creasing his lips.

Mrs. Emerson smiled as well; her smile however was weak, in fact almost apologetic as if she was saying sorry for leaving him in the hospital the night before. She knew he had been safe for her husband was a good man and would never leave her child alone when he was in need. Still she had hated to leave him, he was her baby and she had been very worried for many days now. She had not wanted to leave him, but it was just the fact that she had been so exhausted that she wouldn't have been very much help if she could no longer keep her eyes open.

At last the boy spoke startling them all, "So its true then, he is dead and you live. Tell me do you know where the Daae family is now?"

"No I do not. I would guess that they went home why do you need to know?" he asked a little bit frightened, not for Christine. Hell! They could do whatever they wanted to that little brat and quite frankly he would not give a care in the least! But her mother… Annabel. He loved her, as a son would his stepmother it was her he was worried for.

"Thank you." The stranger said and then walked out of the room and then out pf the hospital leaving the Emersons very confused and alone with one another in the small room. The stranger moved about and then called a taxicab. "To the Daae residence please." He told the man and the driver nodded taking off at a moderate speed toward the destination he had requested. The young boy in the yellow cab looked out the window at the bright blue summer morning, the sky was clear and cloudless and yet he was solemn in the worst way he eventually fell asleep with the son warm on his face.

With Christine Daae… 

Annabel sighed as she watched her daughter sleep soundly; it had taken quite some time for her to get her child to sleep. What with the fits of tears and all she had been crying for several hours and nothing her mother had done or could have done would have calmed her down. She sighed and tugged her shirt off over her head and chanced into a crisp baby blue nightgown and then tugged off her pants and let the material fall to her legs.

She then kissed Christine on the forehead and lay her down on her back covering her gently. She then went to the living room and opened the cabinet. She took out a rose scented candle and lit the wick underneath a framed picture of her love. "Oh my love," she murmured as she closed her eyes and bowed her head as if in prayer. "What ever am I to do? Christine is so ailed with the grief of your loss, as am I. I don't know what else to do, never before have I felt so helpless. Please Gaston if you can hear me, help me and help our child."

At this point she shuddered and a painful sob tore through her like a freshly honed blade. She who had been on her knees collapsed with her head resting in her arms as she shook violently tears pouring from her brown eyes. She sobbed an cried, her pent up grief and sorrow beginning to be released. Just then the doorbell rang and she rose to her feet and went to the door. When she opened the door there was a young man there.

"Hello." He said softly and ran into her arms.

"Hello." She said awkwardly as she patted his back gingerly," What's your name?" she asked him.

"Nadir Kahn." He said and then said in a softer voice, "Nadir Ronolds Kahn."

**- - - -**

**So there you go! Sorry I have had a fever for a week and could not write! So please review and thanks to those who do!**


	9. My son

Chapter nine: My son

Annabel smiled and felt her eyes begin to water and she fell to her knees and wrapped the boy to her chest in a tight embrace. She kissed him on his cheeks and pulled him tight to her in a loving gesture of compassion for the boy. "Oh my boy. My boy." She kept saying and kissed his face and began to cry freely. She knew he resembled someone she knew and very soon she realized that he resembled her first love Raja Khan. She had no idea that the baby that she had given to his father just five years before her marriage to Gaston.

She had been only in her early twenties when she had met the handsome young scholar who in truth was a little over a decade older than her. True he was far to old for her mother's liking but at the time Annabel had not care a bit for the wishes of her parents and she did not care that he was elder and acted purely on impulsive needs to be around an older man. Her father was a soldier you see and often gone for months at a time. Being at home with no one than her siblings had been very hard for her to bear and she sought comfort with the strange man.

She often let the Persian awe her with fantastic stories of his travels to far away regions. She soon became very fond of the man and before she knew it was falling deeply in love with him and began to long for his presence more and more. Raja had been reluctant at first due to the age of the girl that he had come to teach the arts. She was shy and rather childish at the time just freshly out of her teenage years and very new to womanhood herself and knowing her father would not approve if he had been there at the time.

Still with the knowledge that she was for all intensive purposes going against everything she believed she continued to keep her appointment with the man. Annabel had known she was being rebellious and thoroughly breaking her family's honor, and yet it felt right to her. She knew the price of her actions would be great if not tremendous in the end but she just wanted to be close to her love for as long as she could. She constantly wrote about him in her diary having to take great care to hide it well and was thankful that no one in her family ever found it.

For two months this went on and those months seemed like an eternity or perhaps even longer than time itself. At the meeting after this long wait Raja apologized for his long absence and she forgave him.

They sat there for many moments in silence and simply had gazed into one another's eyes chocolate brown to jade green. At last their lips met and she knew at that moment that she was his, "mom?" the young man's voice snapped Annabel from her trance and back to the reality of what was going on in the world. She looked down at the boy and straight into his jade green eyes, oh god he had Raja's eyes and her blue-ebony hair. He was so handsome, just like the man whom she had come to love. She released him and looked him over from head to toe still not sure that he was actually there. When she had touched him in all areas save for those reserved for intimacy and was now quite sure that he was indeed real and that she was not hallucinating she pulled him close again.

The young man patted her back as she simply knelt there and cried for several minutes as she rocked him or tried to but the boy did not get it at first. He then asked her as if to confirm his beliefs, "are you my mother?" and Mrs. Daae did not answer for several minutes for though she knew she should speak she did not want to do so. She just wanted to hold him close and at the moment she could not speak even if she had wanted to. There was no way that the cork in her throat would pop to allow her voice freedom.

When at last she had clamed her sobs long enough to breathe she rose and yet at the same time she still clung to him as if for dear life. She kissed his cheek and knelt down again to be at his eye-level. She then answered his question with a still half choked voice that sounded as though a strong hand was strangling her or some unknown force. "Yes my boy I am your mother." And at those words the young man ran at her and embraced her and they both began to cry with joy and with love that spilled form their eyes.

After their tearful hugging he was ushered into the room and set down in one of the spare armchairs and Annabel set a fire to blaze warmly in the fireplace and offered him something to drink. The young man accepted asking her if she had any juice. She answered that she had three kinds, apple, orange, and mango. He asked if he could have a glass of the mango. She brought it to him with three ice cubes in it and he thanked her sipping it slowly as the cubes clinked around in the glass as the rim touched his lips.

She fixed herself a cup of tea and eased herself down in the chair and sipped at it slowly with a tentative air. The young man watched his long lost mother with a great deal of adoration. Even though he had never before seen the woman with his own eyes they way his father talked about her he was sure she was as beautiful as ever.

Now that he gazed at her with his own eyes, he was sure his father had made love to an angle and not to a woman. She broke his thought's with a question, "Nadir, how is Raja?" The young man looked up and reached into his pocket. He handed her a white envelope and she took it with a confused look. She opened it and gasped at the handwriting. It was a letter from her first beloved; slowly she unfolded the paper and read it aloud. Her voice shook and more tears spilled down her cheeks unchecked by all.

_**My darling Annie,**_

_**By the time you get this letter I will most likely be safely tucked away in an inn that is not so far away from your current residence or so I have been told. I am greatly grieved for you, as I have heard of your loss of your spouse. I had come hear a year ago while my son had just started college. Soon upon my arrival I learned of your marriage and felt a mixture of joy for you and sadness that we could now not be together. I still remained and hope to see you again.**_

_**My son has often asked me about his mother and I am greatly shamed to say that I have told him very little. He knew of course That he was biracial due to the fact that his skin tone was slightly lighter than that of a traditional Persian man from the middle east and the fact that I still have locket that you gave me years ago told him that his mother was indeed not from our home country. I hope to see you again or at least to write back so we can catch up on old times.**_

_**Until then my darling I remain truly and forever yours,**_

_**Raja **_

**- - - -**

Nadir rose to his feet and put his arms around his mother in a comforting gesture and held her for a few minutes murmuring softly to her in Arabic. Just then Christine came down the steps and looked at them. "Who are you?" she asked looking at the boy who was holding her mother. Mrs. Daae looked up and went to her daughter and after pulling Christine into a gentle hug she led her to the center of the room and smiled to Nadir.

"This is your brother Nadir." She said and Christine's eyes widened as she looked at him. She was confused; this boy could not possibly be her brother! She was an only child, the only born daughter of Annabel and Gaston Daae and she knew nothing if this stranger. She smiled at the young man as he bowed to her politely. This boy could not be related to her; there was just no way on earth. Why he didn't even look like her father at all and weren't children supposed to resemble their parents in some way or another?

There was just no way that he was her brother unless her mother had… no that was by no means possible! Her mother was not an adulteress… or was she? Christine pretended to look around the room but then something on the coffee table caught her eye. It was a piece of paper and though her eyes were still tired from her fit of hysteria earlier she could read these words.

_"Until then my darling I remain truly and forever yours,_

_Raja."_

She scanned the rest of the note and was disgusted by what she read. This boy was her brother but he had a different father. She gave a great cry of pained rage and crumpling the paper in her fist ran up the stairs. Annabel spun round and after noticing that the letter was no longer on the table where she had left it, hugged Nadir and asked him to stay the night. He accepted being too tired to make the walk to his father's apartment that night. She showed him to the guest room and once she had set him up walked up the stairs to her daughter's room. She was suddenly feeling very tired, she had a long night of explanations ahead of her.

**- - - -**

**So hear you go! I decided to delay the E/C for a little while longer. Sorry but I don't want to rush things. Review please and thanks to those who do!**


	10. An explanation

**Warning:** This chapter is rated "**R" **for extreme sexual content between characters. If it's not your "cup of tea" than please feel free to skip through the love scene.

Chapter ten: An explanation

Annabel, who stood outside of her daughter's bedroom, ran her long delicate fingers in a vertical motion on the door as if stroking it. She let out a sigh of mixed sorrow and agitation and with her free hand pushed her hair from her face. She felt sorrow for the loss of her husband, and of course being away from her son for such a long period of time, and a sense of agitation for her daughter. She wanted to feel angry with her, but she felt something much stronger than that, she was positively furious!

It was not that she did not understand the way her child was feeling, it was just that the way her daughter was acting was highly belligerent and rather irritating. She was no doubt making some random assumptions that had nothing to do with anything that was going on in the world right now. Granted this whole ordeal would be a bit if not very overwhelming to any young teenager. Not to mention that having some strange man (or boy) brought into your home, and then being told that you are related to them was no doubt a major shock to her.

Still, however Annabel thought that her daughter's behavior was totally unacceptable. There was absolutely no good reason in her mind for Christine's utter rudeness to their company no matter what the case was is or may be. She was sure that she had taught her child better; in fact she was quite certain that Christine should have known how to act towards company. She wagered that the young girl, or young woman as the case was at the moment was only acting out of her grief and all she needed was time to heal, think, and as always to adjust.

Then Mrs. Daae looked up at the ceiling and let out a deep sigh, she felt tears start to trickle down her cheek and as she wiped them away she muttered, "Oh Gaston." And then in a softer voice she said after taking a shuddering breath whispered, "oh Raja." And blinked her eyes in an attempt to clear the warm moisture that had begun to collect there and was now blurring her vision. As she listened to her daughter's seemingly tireless cries, she suddenly felt angry with herself for being angry with her daughter so. She was just so exhausted, from all that had been happening lately that she couldn't even think straight anymore. She knew that she was in no better condition than her daughter and she owed her an explanation.

But still she did not go into the room; she stood outside the door listening to her child's sobbing as if transfixed by the mechanics of the sound. She let out her breath slowly standing there for a few more minutes before at last knocking on the door. She received no answer, and not having expected one just went inside. The moment she entered the room, she felt the sight before her make her heart burst open so to speak. Her little girl was lying almost dead still on the bed and if it weren't for the sobs that racked her petite frame she would have been doing so. She was crying and crying and it was all Annabel could do to try and retain her tears in the presence of the poor girl who wept bitterly.

She went to the bed and eased herself down on it and the mattress creaked a bit with the pressure of her light and yet still audible weight. Mrs. Daae moved or rather inched closer to Christine and began to rub her back soothingly. The seventeen-year-old lifted her head and wrenched herself away from her mother, obviously not seeing the pain that that action caused her. "Christine…" Mrs. Daae said softly, her tone pleading with her daughter not to do this to her. Christine looked at her mother, at first with confusion and then with shock never had her mother begged of her.

As Annabel opened her arms Christine reluctantly moved into them and was stiff for a moment before snuggling into the comfort of her embrace and once again starting to cry. Annabel sighed and rubbed her back as she sang a soft lullaby:

"_The silver moon, with her pale eyes._

_She heals people as they cry…"_

"Stop…" Christine murmured as she was not really in the mood to hear singing at the moment no matter how beautiful her mother's voice may have been. Then in a muffled tone she asked, "why mama? How could you?"

"How could I what love?"

"Betray Father!" Christine cried and Annabel shushed her tears away. As soon as she was calm she took a deep breath and began the explanation that she knew would change things between them for a very long time.

FLASHBACK 

A sixteen-year-old girl with blue-black hair and chocolate brown eyes walked through the park with her head bowed in sorrow. Her father was gone to war again and she had to put up with the endless squawking of her three sister and mother by herself. Adrian was of no help at all in fact he picked on her constantly.

As she walked she bumped into a man with jade eyes who begged her pardon. When she gave it to him, she asked him what he was reading. He told her and for a few minutes waited for her to go on her way. She on the other head begged the man to read it to her and after a ten-minute argument reluctantly agreed to do as she requested. After this Annabel was asking many good questions, and Raja was so impressed that he offered to teach her and she accepted but on the condition that they kept it secret.

Thinking to amuse her he agreed, and for a year this deception went on without the knowledge of her family. As time went on she fell for the man and he for her. He was nervous for she was much younger than he but on the same token she was shy for truth-be-told he was her first real love. She had had many crushes before, and even a few boyfriends but she had only cared for them she had not loved them the way she did the Persian man. And one day she finally decided how to tell her family.

She came home and said, "Mama." And Tina Ronolds turned to look at her.

"Yes?" She said.

"I like someone."

"Who is it this time?" George said, looking up from his paper.

"His name is Raja. And he's Muslim." And Mr. Ronolds looked outraged.

"NO. I WILL NOT HAVE A HETHEN STEALING MY DAUGHTER FROM ME!!!" he shouted. And for the first time in her life her father hit her.

Annabel ran from the house in tears and straight to the park, where she found Raja waiting. She came forward and hugged him tight. He returned the gesture and before he could say a word she kissed him. At first he was surprised but then he kissed her back. She let him wrap his arms around her and he slowly kissed her repeatedly until she was lying beneath him. He groaned and cupped the heavy fullness of her breast and fingered her nipples so that she arched into him. His mouth found the full and rapidly beating pulse in her neck and sucked at it leaving hid little bruises where his mouth had been. He kissed her face and moved his hand lower to feel her flat belly. She smiled and cupped at his face bringing her mouth to his ear.

He reached to cup the back of her head his mouth traveling lower to kiss her belly. As his other hand made her body go weak with desire as it fed at her breast. Slowly he pulled off her shirt and sucked at her hard arching nipples as her mouth traveled to his firmly muscled abs down to the fullness of him. As she fed on his arousal he felt the pleasure consuming him and feared that he might release too soon and not complete his task. "Annie I love you!" he groaned in a husky voice.

He soon undid the buttons of her pants and as he entered her she gave a muffled cry and his soothed her with tender caresses and gentle words. He rocked in and out of her slowly, each out turn he proved his fingers deep into her hot velvet core. Each time as he began to slide into her she kissed him deeply. As he gave a push she cried out in ecstasy and allowed herself to release with him as they entwined their tongues and hearts forever.

**- Three weeks later-**

Annabel was shocked! She was pregnant with Raja's child! She cold not tell her parents about this! She snuck out night and went to the cottage where Raja was living. And knocked on the door, her lover kissed her and held her and when she told him the news he told her to stay with him and was overjoyed to hear of his impending fatherhood. For nine months they lived together and the final month came at last.

It had been a hard pregnancy and she had almost lost her life. She named the boy Nadir, or "Hero" in the Persian tongue. They stayed together for one week after the baby had been born but then her family found her and her father who had been drunk during her absence beat her and then after a brief struggle with Raja wounded him so badly that he could not stop them from taking Annabel away. And they had not seen each other since…

END FLASHBACK 

As she finished the story she then noticed that she had begun to weep. Christine now felt terrible about what she had done and wrapped her mother in her arms and sang to her softly, knowing now how painful it must have been for her to admit such things as she did so. Annabel hugged her daughter and kissed her hair saying over and over, "I'm so sorry baby. I'm so sorry, I wish I could save you from this ordeal but I cannot…" and trailed off breaking down again. Christine now felt really bad for her and after assuring her that she was doing a good enough job of protecting as it was. She finished the lullaby that her mother had begun. Annabel was now so tired that she couldn't even see straight and as her child sang she closed her eyes with a moan and fell back on the bed in a dead sleep.

Christine on the other hand stayed awake for a long time, unable to believe what she had just put her mother through. And even after all that her only thought was to protect her from her own pain. She had to fix things with that boy in the morning and now she needed to close the gap with her brother. She lie back on the bed, shut her eyes and cried herself into a dream-ravaged sleep.

**Well there's chapter ten! Hope you liked it! Review please and thanks to those who do!**


	11. Acceptance

Chapter eleven: Acceptance

**- With Erik Emerson-**

He moved from left to right with his head and saw that for once he was quite alone. He then stripped his leather jacket, which was already tattered beyond any possible chance of repair. He searched the pockets and found the sewing needle and thimble, thread and scissors that he had been asked to pick up for his mother the day of his accident. She had most likely forgotten about them, having other and more urgent matters occupying her mind. He found that he was very thankful that she had for a sudden plan came to him.

He shredded the material into several strips but left one big chunk of it whole and began to fold that piece downward into a flap and then taking the needle and thread sewed the fabric into place. He folded a second strip and then a third and sitting up weakly he laid the folded strips down across his lap. He sewed them together and made in attempt to wrap them around his head as if he were putting on a bandana. The fabric slipped around his head but then slid down loosely around the base of his neck.

Figuring that it was still too loose to work properly or in fact to be of any real good use he took it off again. He began to fiddle around aimlessly with his short hand supplies trying to decide what to do to fix the problem at hand. He then picked up one of the longer strips of his used to be jacket and taking the scissors he snipped it into two pieces that seemed to be approximately of equal length. Picking them both up one in each hand he gazed at them for several minutes before smiling.

He knew just what he should do to make the longer strip fit. He shortened it by taking all three pieces in his hands, two his right and one in his left. He then tied the two shorter strands around the longer one to make the band's hold firm and tight around him when he tried it on once again. He smiled to himself, a proud gesture at the working of his creation. Then he realized that he was not yet done and looked down on the still practically whole piece of material that rested heavily on his stiffened lap.

He picked it up and stared at it for a few more moments longer to try and figure out what to do with it next. But before he made any further move to complete his task, he stole a look at the clock. It was 1:00 in the morning. Well that explained why his eyes were itching and burning. Still that did not explain why he could not seem to get back to sleep. He had a problem with insomnia, he always had since he had been a baby, and these nightmares were not helping to ease his problem at all.

In fact they were making them worse and worse each night and as such he was exhausted beyond words. Still he did not lie down, for he never started a task that he did not intend to finish completely. He took his scissors in his hand again, being thankful that none of the nurses particularly Elvira were about now. She would most likely not only scold him for being up this late, but also take his scissors away from him. He returned to his task and looking down at the bed he felt for the pocket of the large piece.

He knew that he always kept a pen in his pocket wherever he went. Taking out the writing instrument he laid his working fabric on the bedside table and laid first his right hand on the stuff in began to trace the implant of his hand with the glow of the nightlight to guide him. Once he was finished he took the scissors and cut out the shape, then he stuffed the scraps into it and with the needle and thread sewed them in place to make his creation thicker.

He then took the scissors and very carefully cut two squares into the sides of the fabric, which were just big enough to fit the ends of the leather strap, which he had made into. Then with some difficulty he reached through the holes with two fingers and bent the square-shaped ends to press into the fabric. He laid it back on his lap and very, very carefully sewed the two pieces together. At last its making was complete, he smiled as he looked at it and then carefully slipped it on and was quite grateful that it fit. He yawned and laid back as he looked at the clock.

It was very late, and he was very tired. And as he wore his mask he began to sing quietly to himself,

"_Masquerade!_

_Paper faces on parade!_

_Masquerade._

_Hide your face so the world will never find you."_

As he sang he let a single tear fall from his eye and tickle coldly down his cheek before he wiped it away. He would never be normal again and he had to accept that. So with these thoughts in his head he drifted into a deep dreamless sleep, and did not wake for the entire night or well into the morning.

**- With Christine Daae-**

Christine woke to the sound of soft snoring and when she looked about the room and found the source of thedisturbance she found that her mother was beside her. She still slept quite deeply, but had an occasional hiccough from the silent sobs that still shook her. She was no doubt exhausted from the emotional pain of her telling her child the biggest regret of her life. It was not at all that she regretted the fact that Nadir was her son; it was just that she regretted leaving him and having sex before marriage.

Christine swung her legs over the side of the large bed and found that something was blocking her escape. She looked down and smiled at what she saw, her mother was smiling in her sleep as she had one of her arms curved over her shoulder and was snuggled close. She gently moved away from her embrace and stood laying her mother's arm by her side. Christine then bent her lips to her mother's forehead and kissed her tenderly as she smoothed the hair form her creased and furrowed brow as she tucked her in snuggly, making sure to keep her warm.

Then she tiptoed from the room and padded barefoot down the hall to the shower and climbed in. She turned on the water as hot as she could stand it and as she turned her face up to the spray and breathed a deep and heavy sigh. So much had happened in the last few days and she had no idea what to do. She was still very groggy from the night's sleep and her mind was foggy. She let her eyes droop closed and she leaned against the wall letting her back slid down a bit.

After her shower she dressed in an emerald green dress and then she came into the kitchen where she found her brother cooking a nice breakfast of pancakes, eggs and of bacon. She smiled and came forward and touched his shoulder cautiously with two fingers, a light very tender brushing. He turned his head and gave a smile in her direction. "Hello." He said and to her surprise he opened his arms as if to give her a big hug. She stepped forward and let him do this as she returned the gesture.

"Sorry about yesterday." She told him and he hugged her and kissed her hair. Christine was surprised that he was being this gentle after her despicable actions. He pressed her head into his chest tenderly as if she was no more than a small child who was frightened from a bad storm. He ran his fingers down her hair, tangling his fingers in the end of her hair. She felt safe in his arms, like a child being held by their father. Christine stood on her toes and kissed her brother's cheek. "I am really sorry," she said and he smiled and shook his head slowly.

"I admit that I was a bit surprised, but now I understand. Seeing that you have just lost your father and then you went to see the boy. Yes I know about the boy, you see that's how I found you and mother. True your reaction to me was considerably less favorable than I had hoped it would be, but I also sort of anticipated it." He was cut off by Christine's soft sobbing.

"I miss him so much, I guess when I found out that my mother had had another child I…" Christine trailed off as she began to sob hard.

"Shh-shh. You're all right. I'm here, it's okay." Nadir whispered and pulled her back to his chest. As she cried in his arms she felt safe, and one with her brother.

**There's chapter eleven! Hope you like it! Review please and thanks to those who do!**


	12. Hospital Visits

Warning: extremely short! Sorry for the lack of updates but once again my medical problems have been getting the better of me.

Chapter twelve: Hospital visits

Nadir stroked his younger sister's hair and held her rocking her back and forth and kissed her head. He did not know what else he could do for her; she must be in so much pain that he wagered there was nothing he could do. As he had said before he had anticipated her reaction to him due to three factors, her loss had been heavy on her. And to make matters worse she had no idea that some strange boy whom she had never met was her brother and had no idea why he was here.

He kissed her hair and smiled as she burrowed closer to him as she felt her spine begin to shiver. Her heart was broken, her skin felt cold and clammy, her eyes were burning with a need for more rest. He nuzzled her hair as he felt her shivering, and become weak. Nadir scooped her up in his arms and carried her over to the sofa where he laid her down before covering her up and bringing her a cup of hot tea. He held it to her lips as he supported her back with his other hand. She sipped at it slowly, and her body became warm and her tense body began to ease.

"Christine… little Daae now come on stop crying." Nadir murmured soothingly as he set the empty cup on the table. Christine nestled into his arms with a moan and sobbed.

"My baby!" came a soft voice, Nadir turned his head to see Annabel she was rushing forward to see the child and hold her tightly to her chest. "What happened Nadir?" she was saying as she cradled the poor girl's head to her bosom. Her hands were barding her hair while her eyes never left her son's "Christine… come now darling tell your mama, tell me dearest." She was crooning to the girl. Her brown eyes were concerned and weary, but full of love.

"I miss papa so much…" Christine moaned and Annabel tightened her embrace, crooning old lullabies and kissing her child's hair. Nadir could not hide the tears that were now trickling down his face; he did no like to see his sister in such pain. But it was that his mother was so gentle and kind, holding the girl like a fragile doll. He could not believe that he had lived his life without knowing her.

"Ohhhhhh my little one, shh, shh, shh, come now shh, that's it. Just calm down now darling. I'm here, I know, I miss your father too." She whispered before laying her down and kissing her gently on the forehead.

"I have to go back! I need to go back!" Christine sobbed and got up before her mother could say a word she leapt up and ran to the door where she turned, waved and disappeared out into the street. She flagged down a taxi and said to the driver, "To Almond street hospital…" the driver nodded and drove off just as her mother came running.

When she arrived, she turned to Rosa and asked her to show her the way to Erik's room. As she walked down the hall she was told to wait outside the door.

"You have a visitor." Said Rosa..

And then Christine came in…


End file.
